1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the general field of a neck strap arrangement for carrying a musical instrument. In particular, it provides a new and improved method of carrying a woodwind musical instrument known as a recorder.
2. Description of Prior Art
The recorder is an instrument that is of such size that it can be carried easily. This instrument is most often used by children in early grade school for instruction in music. Most often the child will purchase a recorder. The child will then carry the recorder to class and carry it in the hand during class. If the child needs to use the hands for another purpose, the recorder is laid down and subject to loss or confusion when play is to be continued. Also, like anything a child is forced to carry in their hands, the object can be inappropriately used as a toy, weapon, or whatever fits the occasion.
Prior art is limited to some resourceful teachers that have simply tied a string around the recorder with some sort of loop that is placed around the child""s neck to suspend the recorder. Because the knots may slip, come untied or can not be readily untied, this method has not gained wide support. In addition, after the teacher has tied all the knots required by the students, the teacher has little time left for instruction. Thus, at the present time, there is no suitable means for the hand free carrying of the recorder.
It is therefore an objective of this invention to provide a device for conveniently carrying a recorder securely affixed to a strap that is worn about the neck.
Another objective of the invention is the realization of the above mentioned objective with simple, reliable and inexpensive hardware.
In accordance with these and other objectives, the method and apparatus of this invention consist of a ring and an attached strap. The ring is made of resilient material and is of sufficient inside diameter so as to fit, after the strap has been secured to the ring, snugly around the shaft of the mouth piece of the recorder. The ring is secured on the recorder by pulling the recorder apart at its dividing point and then slipping the ring around the mouth piece section and sliding it up the shaft until it is securely lodged on the shaft. Because the diameter of the shaft, of the mouth piece section, increases from the separation point towards the other end, the ring will be secure on the recorder shaft approximately one inch from the dividing point. The two pieces of the recorder are then reconnected.
Various other purposes and advantages of the invention will become clear from its description in the specifications that follows, and from the novel features particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Therefore, to the accomplishment of the objectives described above, this invention consists of the feature hereinafter illustrated in the drawings, fully described in the detailed description of the preferred employment and particularly pointed out in the claims. However, such drawings and description disclose only some of the various ways in which the invention may be practiced.